William Ross Loop (1821 - 1886)

Born 13 Nov 1821 in Elmira, Chemung County, New York, United States of America

Ancestors

Died 13 Nov 1886 at age 65 in Rochester, Monroe County, New York, United States of America

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Biography

Corporal William Loop served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Feb 26, 1864
Mustered out: Jun 12, 1865
Side: USA
Regiment(s): Company A,, 143rd Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry

William was born in 1821. He was the son of Peter Loop and Eliza Ross.

He served in the Mexican War as a private in Co B, 2nd Regiment, Missouri Mounted Riflemen.

He went to California during the gold rush where he is censused in Weaverville, El Dorado County, in 1850.

William R. Loop was a Veteran of the Civil War. Enlisted 26 Feb 1864, Co. A, 143rd Pennsylvania Infantry. Promoted to Corporal, June 1, 1865; absent, sick at mustered out.

He passed away in 1886. Buried at Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, Monroe County, New York.

From The Historical Record of the Wyoming Valley, 1887 Vol. I, p. 62:

An Eventful Career. A native of Wilkes-Barre who passed through two wars, was attacked with Chagres fever in South America, narrowly escaped assassination in Missouri and finally met death by accident.

The Rochester Union and Advertiser has an interesting biographical sketch of our former townsman W. R. Loop, whose death by accident has already been noted in the Record.

His career was so eventful that we believe our readers will be glad to peruse such portions of it as we can make room for: At St. Louis at the breaking out of the Mexican War, he enlisted as a private, continuing in the army until the end of the war. He was in the regiment under Col. Donophan when the famous march was made under Gen. Kearney from St. Louis to Santa Fe. This was in 1846. The regiment was disbanded at Santa Fe, the soldiers finding their way back to St. Louis on foot in squads of six to ten.

Soon after his return to St. Louis he embarked in the mercantile business with a Mr. Brand (a creole). The business was continued until the great fire, about 1849, when he was joined by his brother Edward. This was the year that the cholera prevailed to such an alarming extent, very many persons fleeing from the city. Not so with Loop. He remained perseveringly, attending to his business, striving and succeeding in paying his debts, though the insurance companies paid him only 50 cents on the dollar, the severity of their losses compelling them in this course. These were blue times for Loop; he paid his debts, but only had enough money remaining to purchase him an outfit for a journey across the plains in 1850 to California, which was coming into notice about this time. He made the journey with five companions, on foot, having ox teams to carry their luggage. The panic of 1851 being precipitated soon after he returned from California, and in order to economize he shipped as a common sailor before the mast, down the Pacific coast to Nicaragua, thence through the Nicaragua river and lake to Greytown, where he had a violent attack of the Chagres fever caused by exposure in the raining season, under a burning sun. From Greytown he took the steamer Daniel Webster to New York, being only just alive when the steamer arrived. On recovering from this tedious and dangerous illness, lasting the entire winter, he found his way to Hannibal, Mo., where he was employed by Mr. I. R. Selms, an old and highly respected merchant. Here he purchased a nice residence and had his mother and sister with him.

He remained at Hannibal until the exciting secession times (preceding the Rebellion) staunchly maintaining his character of a Union man, loving his country and willing to make any sacrifice. It will be remembered that the Union men, living on the borders between the Northern or free States, and the Southern, or slave States, were in most trying positions. No one probably suffered more for his loyalty than Mr. Loop. The men treated him cruelly, and the women pointed their fingers at him in scorn and derision in the streets. Yet he was not to be swerved a hair's breadth from the line of duty, as he understood it. An acquaintance came near to him one day in his place of business, when suddenly, without warning of any kind, gave him a violent blow on the head with a brick, evidently intending to kill him. He concluded after this occurrence that it was not safe for him to remain there, so he severed his connection with Mr. Selms, much to the sorrow and regret of the latter, himself a Union man, who was ruined by the hatred of the Secessionists, and compelled a short time after Mr. Loop's departure to go himself. On leaving Hannibal, Loop came east, visiting Wilkes-Barre, Pa., the home of his childhood. It was there that he enlisted among the "Emergency Men" at the call of the State government in the summer of 1863. After being mustered out of service on this occasion he returned to Wilkes-Barre, and after a very brief period he enlisted again, this time at the call of the general government, for three years of the war in the 143rd regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. This regiment was in the brigade, which was under the lamented Gen. Wadsworth, which went through the battles in Virginia. On the seventh day of the nine days' battle of the Wilderness he (Loop) received a bullet through his hip, which wounded him so severely that he was incapacitated for severe manual labor during the remainder of his life. He was taken to the Douglas Hospital in Washington and from there he was transferred to the City Hospital in Rochester. He continued to reside here up to the day of his death, which occurred within one day of his sixty-fifth birthday. An exemplary Christian, a faithful, loving son, brother and friend, his like will not soon be found again.

Sources

• Find A Grave. William Ross Loop.

• U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865.

• U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934.

• Ranger95.com. Company A, 143rd Pennsylvania Infantry.

• Democrat and Chronicle - 14 Nov 1886 - Page 3.

• The Historical Record of the Wyoming Valley, 1887 Vol. William R. Loop pgs 62-63.

• The Sterling Genealogy, Vol. 1. Eliza Irene Sterling pg 463.

• The Loop Family in America by Victor L. Bennison, Peter P. Loop.